


Lights Out

by AdenineTopaz



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: AU, Aftergame, Comfort, Fluff, Gay, Kissing, M/M, Panic Attack, Thunderstorms, really weird au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 00:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13752879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdenineTopaz/pseuds/AdenineTopaz
Summary: Sammy Lawrence has a fear of thunderstorms, and the power just so happens to go out.





	Lights Out

**Author's Note:**

> this takes place in an after-game au where basically nobody had to die and they all escaped the studio and live on the surface. let me have my happy au.

     The thumping of the rain on the roof was harsh and unforgiving, pouring down in thick sheets. For the past couple of hours it had been raining pretty hard, the wind howling, the clouds rolling.  
     Sammy and Norman had the weather channel on the TV running, patches of yellow and red tainting the screen. Sammy found himself twitching every so often; he wished Bendy was here. The ink demon had swapped places with Norman and went to pay a visit to Henry, leaving the corrupted human stuck with the Projectionist.  
     Norman was sunk low into the couch, his lens focusing on the screen weakly, arms folded casually, legs crossed. If there was a position that said “I can’t give any more of a shit,” it was this.  
     Sammy, on the other hand, was like a rabbit, jumping at the slightest noise. He paced around the house, trying to distract himself, get things done, maybe clean this, wash that. He didn’t want Norman to find out he was deathly afraid of thunderstorms. Bendy knew and understood; whenever a storm rolled in, the devil would scoop him up and hold him while the rain came down relentlessly, shushing him and reassuring him that everything would be alright. But now that Norman was here, Sammy would have to figure out a way to get past this by himself.  
     He was currently in the kitchen washing some dishes, one foot tapping the tiled floor erratically. The plate he was cleaning had been sparkling long ago, but he still scrubbed hard out of pure stress.  
     “S-So, uh, Norman, what do the weather reports say?” he asked.  
     “Same thing. Thunderstorms until 3 AM.” replied the Projectionist.  
     The tapping got faster somehow. “Alright, okay, alright. No s-surprise there.” choked Sammy.  
     He finally put the plate in the dishwasher and went to reach for another one when Norman piped up. “Hey, are you okay? You sound, like, out of it.”  
 _SHIT._ Sammy let out a shaky breath as another torrent of rain pelted against the rooftop.  
     “I’m fine. Just...fine.” he answered.  
     “O...kay...whatever you say—“  
     At that moment the lights flickered for a moment, the whole house turning dark, and then came back on. The TV rebooted, as did the rest of the electronics.  
     The Projectionist clapped in amusement. “Ooh, mini powerout.”  
     Sammy’s hands had a death grip on the edge of the sink, trembling. He started to feel panic bubble deep within him. Lights flashed outside, and then a few seconds later came the low rumbling of the thunder, loud and deep. He flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay—“  
     “Sammy? You okay?” Sammy jumped and turned around to see Norman staring at him from the couch, projector head tilted curiously.  
     “Y-Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” he stammered.  
     “You’re acting all weird. You’ve been pacing around the house all night.” retorted Norman.  
     “I said I’m fine.” Sammy huffed and walked into the living room, sitting on the other couch. Norman was irritating him, but he didn’t feel like being alone right now. He jumped as more thunder crackled above them.  
     Norman’s lens was focusing on him harshly; it felt like it was burning into his skin. “You’re jumpy.”  
     “Must you stare at me?” hissed Sammy.  
     “Sorry.” Norman shrugged and looked back at the black TV screen, sighing.  
     Sammy sank into the couch, wrapping his arms around himself. He found himself shaking, his fingers digging into his inky skin. He hung his head down, staring at his own lap, breathing hard. Anxiety was slowly clawing its way through his mind, clouding his thoughts.  
     God, how he wished Bendy was here. Bendy would transform into his tall demon form, ink appearing on the walls, and scoop him up in his long, warm arms, holding him against his chest. Bendy was such a source of comfort, like a rock, a grounding point. And now it felt like Sammy was slipping, with nothing to grab onto with the devil gone, and in his mind all he could do was scream.  
     And at that moment, it all went dark. The house turned off as if someone had pressed a button. It was pitch-black, and eerily quiet. Only the Projectionist’s light from his camera lens shown through the darkness.  
     “Ohhh man, it’s a powerout! So cool!” he giggled.  
     Sammy’s eyes widened, his heart racing. He felt panic explode in his chest, and he clutched one of his suspenders, hyperventilating. He looked around him, seeing nothing but darkness, nothing but the walls closing in on him. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the house for a brief moment, and then the thunder boomed.  
     The corrupted human curled his legs up on the couch and covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. “Nnnnh...” he whimpered.  
     Norman turned to him. “Sammy?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”  
     Sammy felt tears welling up in his eyes, and as much as he tried to hold back, god how he tried to hold back, he couldn’t. A sob escaped his lungs, and then another, and then another.  
     “A-Are you...crying?” stuttered Norman, the light emanating from his lens brightening in response to the shock. “Dude, what’s the matter? I-Is it ‘cause the power went out?”  
     Sammy turned away from him, his sobs growing louder and more frequent. He was glad his mask prevented anyone from seeing his face; he was humiliated enough.  
     “Just—j-just go—go away—“ he hiccuped.  
     Norman had to admit, he felt kind of bad for Sammy. Maybe talking would help?  
     “Here, come here.” The Projectionist held out his hand.  
     Sammy looked at it for a moment, perplexed, and then shakily took it. Norman gently pulled him over to the other couch and sat him down next to him. He wound one long arm around him and pulled him close.  
     “Now, what’s the matter?” he asked quietly.  
     Sammy gasped and hiccuped a few more times before lifting his mask and wiping his eyes. “Don’t—don’t like—th-thunderstorms—they—s-scare me—“ he choked.  
     If Norman had a face, it’d be blank. That would explain the jumpiness. Shit, what would Bendy do?  
     “Hey, it’s...it’s okay. Thunderstorms don’t last forever.” he whispered.  
     Sammy clutched his back wiring, still panicking. He pulled himself closer to Norman, almost on top of him, gasping for air as he nearly clawed at his skin.  
     “Okay, okay, calm down. Let’s get you relaxed, okay?” Norman repositioned Sammy and then scooped him up against his chest, letting his head rest against the two film reels jutting from his shoulder.  
     The corrupted human still sobbed, the throes of his panic attack coiling around him like a tight snake. “N-N-Norman—“  
     “Shh...it’s okay. Everything’ll be alright.” cooed the Projectionist. “I’m here.”  
     Those words. Those two words. “I’m here.”  
     As soon as Sammy heard them he felt something lift in his chest. Something reminded him of Bendy, and for a moment he was able to breathe.  
     “Y-You’re...here...” he whimpered.  
     “That’s right, I’m here, Sammy.” said Norman softly.  
     Sammy wrapped his arms around Norman’s neck, resting his head against the reels, closing his eyes. His breaths were still shaky, still uneven and imperfect, but they were better than before.  
     “You’re here...” he breathed.  
     Another crack of thunder sounded, and Norman’s grip on Sammy involuntarily tightened. Just like Bendy.  
     “It’s okay. Nothing can hurt you with me here.” he whispered.  
     Sammy kept his eyes shut, wanting to feel and not see, not hear. He just wanted to be with Norman right now. Nothing else.  
     “Nothing c-can hurt me...” he repeated. “Nothing can hurt me. N-Nothing can hurt me.”  
     Slowly his breathing began to adjust, his heart rate slowing, his thoughts coming back. “I’m...okay...” he whispered.  
     “You’re okay.” replied the Projectionist. “You’re perfectly okay, and you always will be. I’ll be here, Bendy will be here. We’ll be here to protect you.”  
     Norman bumped his head into Sammy’s mask. “We will always be here for you, Sammy.”  
     Sammy looked up at his now dimly-lit lens, and smiled. “You’re so nice, N-Norman...” he said, sniffling. “I...”  
     He lifted the mask and, without thinking, planted a kiss right below Norman’s lens.  
     Norman was perfectly still, shocked, his light brighter. “You...you kissed me...” he said.  
     Sammy’s eyes widened as he realized what in the hell he had just done. “I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking and I acted on impulse and—“  
     “Sammy. It’s okay.” If Norman could smile, he would. He bumped his lens into Sammy’s cheek, which was the closest he could get to giving a kiss.  
     The corrupted human felt his face burn up. “Did you just...kiss me back?”  
     “Mhm.”  
     Sammy was quiet for a few moments, and then a smile grew on his face. “Norman...that’s so cute.” he chuckled.  
     The Projectionist chuckled back. “Bendy is okay with this, right?” he questioned.  
     “Yeah, don’t worry.” replied Sammy, kissing him on the side of the head.  
     At that moment, they were nearly blinded. The lights blared in their faces, and it took a couple seconds for them to realize the power was back on. The whirring of the furnace above returned, as did the buzzing of electrical appliances.  
     “Oh, the power’s back on!” exclaimed Norman.  
     “Thank god.” sighed Sammy, relieved. He paused. “I, um...still don’t like thunderstorms, though.”  
     Norman looked at him. “Do you wanna stay like this for a while?” he asked.  
     Sammy looked away. “Y-Yeah...if that’s okay with you.”  
     “It’s fine with me.” Norman bumped his lens into Sammy’s cheek again, nuzzling slightly. He shifted around a bit and pulled the corrupted human closer, sighing contentedly. He could get used to this, cuddling with Sammy.  
     “Hey, um...thanks for earlier.” spoke Sammy. “With the whole panic attack thing...”  
     “Don’t mention it. I just want you to feel safe. I’d...do anything for you, Sammy.” responded the Projectionist.  
     “And I’d do anything for you, too, Norman.” said Sammy, nuzzling into his shoulder.

**Author's Note:**

> newsflash: the projectionist can talk here


End file.
